Field of the Invention
The inventions disclosed herein relate generally to systems and their use for manipulating fluids, and relate specifically to heating, evaporating, condensing, separating, sterilizing and/or otherwise manipulating fluids, including, but not limited to, industrial fluids associated with the oil and gas industries.
Description of the Related Art
Industrial operations, such as, but not limited to, oilfield operations, oftentimes require sources of heat for a variety of purposes, such as heating a fluid, evaporating a component from a fluid, condensing a fluid, separating a fluid according to its properties, and/or sterilizing or killing objectionable organisms in a fluid. In the past, industry has looked to both open flame (or direct fired) and flameless systems to provide the thermal energy for such systems.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,424,916 B2 entitled “Flameless Hot Oiler” is said to describe “[a] flameless heating system comprising: at least one engine, each engine including a coolant for removing heat from the engine and each engine producing exhaust; a loading means for loading the engine; a heat exchange system, the heat exchange system comprising: a heat exchange fluid; a pump for circulating the heat exchange fluid; at least one heat exchanger for transferring heat from the at least one engine coolant to the heat exchange fluid; and an exhaust heat exchanger for transferring heat from the exhaust of the at least one engine to the heat exchange fluid; a batch fluid; and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the heat exchange system to the batch fluid, wherein heat is transferred from the engine to the heat exchange system, and from the heat exchange system to the batch fluid.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,262 entitled “Mechanical Liquid Vaporizing Waterbrake” is said to describe “[a] water brake which uses mechanical power to kinetically heat water to vapor or steam, and use thereof as a steam generator or cooling water conserving dynamometer or motion retarder. In the simplest embodiment, radial impeller vanes (5b) throw water against stator vanes (6e), whence the water rebounds to the impeller (5). The peripheral rebounding movement continues back and forth. Power dissipates as heat in the water causing the water to increase in temperature and to vaporize. The vapor, being lower in density and viscosity than is the water, flows to and out a central outlet (9) while the denser water is centrifugally separated from the vapor and retained in the peripheral rebounding motion. Water leaving as vapor is continually replaced through a cooling water inlet (8), allowing continuous operation over wide ranges of speed, torque, power and steam generation rates, both at steady state and at controlled rates of change.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,826 entitled “Apparatus For Generating Thermal Energy And Electrical Energy” is said to describe “[a]n apparatus for generating thermal and electrical energy includes an internal combustion engine connected to and adapted to drive a generator for providing electrical power and a brake for generating thermal energy. In one embodiment, a heat carrier flows through appropriate conduits for absorbing heat energy from the brake, from the combustion chamber of the engine, and from the engine exhaust gases and delivers the heat energy to a end-use heat exchanger, for example, a room or space heater. In a second embodiment, the engine exhaust gas flow is used to drive a gas turbine that, in turn, drives a compressor in a thermal cycle to provide additional heat transfer capability.”
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0185621 A1, published on Aug. 24, 2006 and entitled “Flameless Boiler,” is said to describe “[a] flameless boiler comprising generator means for generating heat in fluid circulated there through by shearing of the fluid; a prime mover drivingly connected to the generator means for shearing of the fluid; a supply reservoir for the fluid; a first pump for circulating the fluid from the supply reservoir to the generator means; and a pressure vessel in fluid communication with the generator means for receiving heated fluid there from, the pressure vessel having an outlet for drawing steam therefrom.”
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0224223 A1, published on Oct. 13, 2005 and entitled “Heating Apparatus for Wells,” is said to describe “[a]n apparatus for warming objects such as production conduits at a well site comprises an internal combustion engine driving a well pump. A heat exchanger shell is connected to an exhaust port of the engine, and has an output port. A circulating pump is driven by the engine, and a heating circuit is connected to the circulating pump such that liquid in the heating circuit is pumped from a pump output of the circulating pump through the heating circuit to a pump intake of the circulating pump. The heating circuit comprises a heat absorbing portion inside the heat exchanger shell arranged such that heat from the exhaust of the engine is transferred to the liquid therein, and a heating conduit arranged adjacent to a production conduit or other desired object such that heat from the liquid in the heating conduit is transferred to the object.”
The present disclosure is directed to improved systems and methods for heating and/or manipulating a fluid.